You’ll want to know that your children are in safe hands, no matter what the age of your child is. That’s why it is important to know how to tell a good babysitter between a bad or inexperienced one. There are certain questions and characteristics that are telling ways to see if who you’re hiring is going to be able to do an efficient and safe job. This is your child after all and you’ll want the best for them no matter what.
Finding the Babysitter
While you may not want to go to any old website and pick straight from them, you should look into using a babysitting directory. Find a babysitter looking through their direct-curated directory. You’ll be able to find a babysitter that has ratings, reviews, credentials and pay rates. Having a babysitter means doing the right research before you decide on one as you will want to ensure your child is in the safest hands possible, and means it will allow you to enjoy your time out without worrying about what is going on at home. One of the best ways to do this is by setting clear expectations with your babysitter ahead of time which helps to ensure everyone is on the same page and that your children are safe and attended to in a way that meets your standards.
This is the hardest part of finding a reliable source. Now that you have that, it’s time to scour through the many different profiles of people you’ll come across. Who do you want taking care of your child while you’re away is the question. In order to answer that question, you should be equipped with some questions of your own.
Basic Questions to Ask Potential Babysitters
You should narrow down the search to a select group of sitters based on what you found out about them online. They’ll most likely have great reviews, but what really counts is how you feel about each of them individually.
One of the first questions you’ll want to ask them about is their direct experience with children. This will be telling information to see how they’ve grown up around taking care of others, if they have their own brothers and sisters that may be the first place acquiring some of their skills.
Get a feel for their babysitting style by asking what it is they think children like about them. There are sometimes when babysitters will like babysitting different aged children better than others. Make sure that your child is in that age range so they can benefit off of their care. Ask what type of activities the children and them will be doing.
Conflict Resolution Questions
You’ll want to know what their method or philosophy is when watching kids as all people raise their children differently and how you or they react to the kids can be different. Some of these questions include if they’ve ever had a difference of opinion disciplining the child as opposed to how a parent would like it and how they as a babysitter would handle it.
Check to see how they are in emergency situations and if they’ve ever dealt with one and how they would react in a similar emergency with one of your children. All of this can play out as a nice interview and give you just the right amount of information you’ll need to make the decision with your new babysitter.
Outside Resources & Making the Final Decision
Babysitters often will have old experience that you can base some of your decisions and potential conclusions on. Don’t be afraid to ask for references or find them out by yourself through reviews. You’ll be able to talk candidly with them about how a babysitter is and how much their children actually like them. See if there was anything they didn’t like about the person and take that into account. What could or couldn’t be a big deal to one person could be the deal breaker for you.
Once you’ve narrowed it down to just a few babysitters have a setup for your children to meet them for the first time in person for a kind of play date. See how they interact with the kids and get a normal conversation going with them. It is a great way to get an overall feel for how they are as a person. It doesn’t have to be a nerve-racking affair either, just hang out and get a good time going with you, them, and the kids.
Most importantly, follow your instincts and go all the way with someone who clicks the most with you guys and your kids. Some people may sound perfect but end up being direct in real life or something is just off about the situation. Go with who you feel will watch and protect your children best.
James Blewitt served honorably in the Marine Corps before receiving an Associates in business and then founding his online consulting company in 2003. His main focus is spotting the current online trends and finding how they can make life easier for business owners as well as the individual consumer. He currently resides in Pittsburgh, PA
